Building Brands through Better Design

February 9, 2017. Accra – The benefits of using design as a strategic tool for growing a business in Africa was the focus of a seminar held today at CEIBS Africa’s auditorium in East Legon, Accra. Organized in partnership with Design Thinking Ghana, the seminar was conducted by Peter Kersten, former General Manager for Brand and Design Management at Canon Europe. It was titled “Design as a Strategic Management Tool” and the 40 participants included CEIBS alumni and members of Design Thinking Ghana.

In his presentation, Kersten said that design can be a powerful strategic tool, but is often neglected. He explained that in his experience in the Netherlands, creative business services are very important for enterprises, yet the value of design as a business concept is rarely seen in much of Africa, where people usually associate it primarily with either advertising or art. He said that investing in design pays off, and enterprises should exploit the synergies between brand design and brand activation through advertising, promotion and other means, in order to grow their business in Africa in a sustainable way.